In a world obsessed with mobile payments and digital wallets, it might surprise you to learn that 65% of consumer payments in North America still happen with a physical card. Turns out, what’s in your wallet still matters. Physical cards aren’t just holding their ground—they’re winning trust, delivering reliability, and stepping in when phones glitch, batteries die, or Wi-Fi ghosts you at checkout.

So why double down on plastic in a pixel-obsessed world? Because the right card in the right hands can deliver real-world value, drive revenue, and put your brand in motion:

1. Your Brand, in Their Hands: A physical card puts your brand in wallets, pockets, and daily routines. Whether it’s swiped at the café or tapped at the airport, every transaction becomes a brand moment.
2. Stand Out by Design: In a sea of sameness, a well-designed card (think metal, translucent, or even glow-in-the-dark) becomes a conversation starter and a signal that your brand means business.
3. Earn While You Issue: If you charge a fee for physical cards, you open a new revenue stream. Physical cards don’t just enhance the user experience—they boost your bottom line.
4. Loyalty You Can Feel: Perks and rewards hit differently when they’re tied to something tangible. Physical cards help deepen emotional loyalty and keep users coming back for more.
5. Turn Digital into Real-world Utility: For crypto-backed programs, a physical card bridges the gap between onchain assets and real-world purchases. It makes abstract value feel usable, familiar, and, frankly, exciting.

Options That Fit Your Flow

When done right, physical cards are strategic assets. At Rain, we make it simple to design and launch card programs that shine in the real world. Our full-stack platform gives you end-to-end control, and we even integrate with top-tier card manufacturers, like Arculus® by CompoSecure, to help your card stand out.

These partners bring creativity and craftsmanship to physical cards, offering standout materials such as metal, transparent elements, or even illuminated cards. Premium metal cards, in particular, stand out as a favorite, with 70% of customers saying they’d prefer metal over plastic if all benefits were equal.

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Whether you’re sprinting to launch or investing in a fully custom experience, Rain offers three flexible options:

Generic Cards: Generic cards are white, unbranded cards that are ready to go, no design or customization needed.

1. Timeline: Looking to launch immediately
2. Best for: Running a small pilot, issuing fewer than 1,000 cards.

Semi-Custom Cards: Semi-custom cards allow you to add your logo to the front of the generic white card. Custom shipping carriers can also be set up for an additional branded touch.

1. Timeline: ~4 weeks for logo customization; 2–3 weeks for branded carriers (which can be done in-parallel with logo customization).
2. Best for: Quick launches with a light brand layer, small-to-medium card quantities.

Custom Cards: For companies where physical cards are a key part of the brand experience, fully custom cards provide the highest degree of control and polish. You can customize everything, from front and back design to materials (like metal or glass) and even the shipping experience. Premium metal cards have been shown to create the most impact and often become top of wallet, making them a proven driver of loyalty and usage.

1. Timeline: A few weeks for design and up to 2–3 months or longer for manufacturing, depending on complexity.
2. Best for: Programs with large-scale volume goals and strong brand integration.

The Path to Physical

Custom cards offer the highest level of personalization, but they also require a more involved process. Here's a step-by-step look at what you can expect when launching a fully custom physical card with Rain:

1. Design (2 weeks): Upload your custom design, get feedback, and lock in materials and quantities with the manufacturer. 
2. Proofing (2 weeks): Your design is turned into a full spec proof (including artwork, material selections, and card specs) and submitted to you and Visa simultaneously for review. 
3. Approval (2 weeks): You’ll review everything, request tweaks, and then greenlight production. 
4. Manufacturing (10+ weeks): The manufactures get to work (note: custom materials like metal or glass may extend timelines further). 
5. Testing (2 weeks): Cards are sent to the personalization site for functional testing to make sure it’s ready for real-world use.
6. Go Live (1 week after testing): Your cards ship and your users start flexing your brand.

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Physical cards bridge the gap between digital innovation and tangible brand presence. Rain makes it easy to launch, scale, and stand out. If you’re ready to put your card program in motion, we’re ready to help you make it rain—one swipe at a time.

Let’s talk.